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Adaptive Bitrate Streaming
A delivery method that changes video quality as available bandwidth rises or falls to keep playback running.
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IPTV Glossary A–Z
Plain-English definitions for IPTV, streaming, network, codec, device, playlist, EPG and security terms.
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Browse Glossary
Use the glossary to understand player menus, device specifications, network tests and support conversations without jargon.
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AirPlay
Apple's local-network technology for sending audio or video from an iPhone, iPad or Mac to a compatible display.
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Android TV
Google's television operating system designed for remote-controlled apps and large-screen playback.
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Aspect Ratio
The proportional relationship between picture width and height, commonly 16:9 for modern television.
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Audio Description
An accessibility track that describes important visual action between dialogue.
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Bitrate
The amount of data used by a stream each second, usually measured in megabits per second for video.
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Playback Buffer
A short reserve of downloaded media that helps a player continue through brief network variation.
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Buffering
A playback pause that occurs when the player cannot obtain or decode media quickly enough.
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Catch-Up TV
A provider-side archive that allows eligible live programs to be played after their original broadcast time.
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Content Delivery Network
A distributed group of servers used to deliver media from locations closer to viewers.
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Channel Bouquet
An organized group of channels, often arranged by country, language, topic or subscription tier.
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Channel ID
A unique value used to match a playlist channel with schedule data or a provider record.
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Chromecast
Google's casting technology for sending or controlling media on a compatible television or streaming device.
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Codec
Software or hardware that compresses and decompresses video or audio, such as H.264, H.265 or AAC.
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Connection Limit
The number of streams or devices a service permits to play at the same time.
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Container Format
A file or stream wrapper such as MPEG-TS or MP4 that carries video, audio and metadata.
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Deinterlacing
The process of converting interlaced television fields into progressive frames for modern displays.
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Domain Name System
The system that translates human-readable server names into network addresses.
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Digital Video Recorder
A feature or device that saves live programming for later playback when rights and service support allow it.
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Dynamic Range
The span between the darkest and brightest parts of an image or the quietest and loudest parts of audio.
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Electronic Program Guide
A schedule interface showing current and upcoming programs for mapped channels.
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Encryption
The protection of data so it can be read only by an authorized client or account.
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EPG Time Offset
A manual adjustment used when guide listings appear earlier or later than local time.
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Ethernet
A wired local-network connection that usually offers more consistent streaming than congested Wi-Fi.
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External Player
A separate playback application launched by an IPTV interface to decode a selected stream.
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Favorite Channel
A user-selected shortcut that places a preferred channel or item in a smaller custom list.
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Forward Error Correction
Extra transmission data that may help reconstruct packets lost in certain delivery systems.
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Frames Per Second
The number of individual video frames displayed each second, such as 25, 30, 50 or 60 fps.
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Frame-Rate Matching
A device feature that changes display output to match the frame rate of the playing content.
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Full HD
A video resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels, also described as 1080p when progressively scanned.
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Geographic Restriction
A rule limiting content or service access based on the viewer's detected location.
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Google TV
A television interface built on Android TV with content discovery, profiles and app access.
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H.264 AVC
A widely supported video compression standard used for live and on-demand streaming.
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H.265 HEVC
A newer codec that can deliver similar quality to H.264 at a lower bitrate on compatible hardware.
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Hardware Decoding
Video decoding performed by a device's dedicated media circuitry instead of its general processor.
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HD Video
High-definition video, commonly 1280 by 720 pixels for 720p content.
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High Dynamic Range
Video technology that can provide brighter highlights, deeper shadows and a wider color range on compatible displays.
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HDMI-CEC
A control standard that lets connected HDMI devices share commands such as power and navigation.
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Hybrid Log-Gamma
An HDR format designed with broadcast compatibility in mind.
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Internet Group Management Protocol
A network protocol used to manage multicast membership on compatible managed IPTV networks.
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Interlaced Video
A legacy scan method that sends alternating image fields, commonly identified by the letter i in 1080i.
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IP Address
A numeric network address assigned to a device or server.
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Internet Protocol Television
Television or video delivered using internet protocol networks rather than traditional terrestrial, satellite or cable-only distribution.
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Internet Service Provider
The company that supplies a household or device with internet connectivity.
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Network Jitter
Variation in packet arrival timing that can disturb real-time playback even when average speed looks adequate.
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Latency
The time required for data to travel through a system, contributing to delay behind a live event.
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Live TV
A stream scheduled and delivered close to the time an event or channel is being broadcast.
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Local Area Network
The private network connecting devices inside a home, office or venue.
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M3U Playlist
A text-based playlist format containing media locations and optional channel metadata.
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M3U8 Playlist
An M3U playlist encoded in UTF-8 and commonly used as part of HTTP Live Streaming.
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MAC Address
A hardware-style network identifier; some portal systems use a registered virtual or device MAC for access.
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IPTV Middleware
Software connecting accounts, content catalogs, guide data and playback clients.
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Multicast
A network method that sends one stream to multiple authorized receivers on a managed network.
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Multiroom
The use of a television service across more than one room, subject to device and connection limits.
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Over-the-Top Streaming
Media delivered over a general internet connection rather than a dedicated managed television network.
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Packet Loss
Network data that never reaches its destination, often producing freezes, artifacts or retries.
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Parental Control
A PIN, profile or rule used to restrict access to selected content or categories.
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Audio Passthrough
Sending encoded audio to a television, receiver or soundbar for decoding.
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Playlist
An ordered collection of channels or media references used by a compatible player.
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Portal URL
The address of a middleware portal used by compatible set-top-box-style clients.
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Progressive Scan
A display method that draws every line of a frame in sequence, indicated by the letter p in 1080p.
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Quality of Service
Router rules that prioritize or manage traffic when a connection is congested.
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Video Resolution
The pixel dimensions of a video frame, such as 1280×720 or 3840×2160.
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Real-Time Streaming Protocol
A protocol used to control certain live or on-demand media sessions.
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Real-Time Messaging Protocol
A protocol historically used for ingesting and distributing live media.
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Server URL
The base web address a compatible player uses to reach account and media services.
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Sideloading
Installing an application package from outside a device's standard app store.
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Smart DNS
A DNS-based routing service that changes how selected requests are resolved without encrypting all traffic.
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Stalker Portal
A middleware style used by some set-top boxes and emulation applications with portal and MAC details.
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Stream Key
A secret token used to authorize a publishing or playback workflow; it should be protected like a password.
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Subtitle
On-screen text representing dialogue or translations, either embedded in a stream or loaded separately.
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Timeshift
A local or server feature that temporarily buffers live television so it can be paused or resumed.
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Timezone
A regional time standard that affects EPG schedules, recordings and displayed program times.
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Transcoding
Converting media from one codec, bitrate or resolution into another.
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MPEG Transport Stream
A resilient container designed to carry synchronized audio, video and metadata.
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TV Everywhere
Access to network apps or websites using credentials from a participating television provider.
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Unicast
A one-to-one network delivery method in which each viewer receives a separate stream.
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Upscaling
Converting lower-resolution video to a larger output resolution for display.
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User Agent
A client identifier sent with network requests that may affect compatibility or access rules.
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Variable Refresh Rate
A display feature that changes refresh timing dynamically, used mainly for games rather than standard TV streams.
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Video on Demand
Movies, episodes or other programs selected for immediate playback rather than watched on a live schedule.
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Virtual Private Network
An encrypted connection to a remote network endpoint that changes routing and may add latency.
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Wi-Fi 5
The 802.11ac wireless standard operating mainly on 5 GHz networks.
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Wi-Fi 6
The 802.11ax wireless standard designed for improved efficiency on networks with many devices.
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XMLTV
A structured XML format commonly used to supply television schedule data.
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Xtream Codes-Style API
A login method used by compatible players with a server URL, username and password.
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1080p
Progressive Full HD video with a 1920 by 1080 pixel frame.
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2160p
Ultra HD video with a 3840 by 2160 pixel frame, commonly marketed as 4K.
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4K Ultra HD
A consumer display and video category generally based on 3840 by 2160 pixels.
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8K Ultra HD
A high-resolution display format generally based on 7680 by 4320 pixels, requiring suitable source material and hardware.
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AAC Audio
A widely used lossy audio codec supported by most streaming devices.
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AC-3 Dolby Digital
A multichannel audio codec commonly used in television and home cinema systems.
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AV1 Video
A modern royalty-free video codec designed for efficient internet delivery on supported hardware.
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MPEG-DASH
An adaptive streaming standard that describes segmented media through a manifest file.
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HTTP Live Streaming
Apple-originated adaptive streaming technology based on segmented media and M3U8 playlists.
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HDCP
Copy-protection technology used across HDMI connections for protected digital content.
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Consumer Electronics Control
The control portion of HDMI that allows compatible devices to exchange remote-control commands.
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Digital Rights Management
Technology used by rights holders and services to control access to protected media.
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Widevine
Google's DRM technology used by many licensed streaming services.
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FairPlay Streaming
Apple's DRM system for protected HLS playback on supported devices.
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PlayReady
Microsoft's DRM platform used by compatible media services and devices.
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